Letter: Proposal 2 would cost taxpayers more and deserves a no vote

I have written before on the subject of collective bargaining for increased pay and benefits that are provided by taxpayer dollars. It has always appeared to me that such negotiations should be somehow constrained since any increase becomes an eventual tax increase, and is taxation without representation since the taxpayer has no say in the matter. Public worker unions followed in the steps of other unions representing workers at private companies, but somewhere in the process we have forgotten about the taxpayer, who is the ultimate payer here.

Now comes Ballot Proposal 2, the collective bargaining amendment which will ask voters to put into the state constitution provisions to not only make public union negotiations a solid element, but would raise those negotiation powers to a level above that of the legislature. Their negotiations could establish provisions specifically not accepted by the legislature and no one could oppose it. As I contend the process involving taxpayer dollars needs constraint, this proposal instead seeks to add significantly more power to the unions representing public sector workers.

We as taxpayers deserve to see improvements in our government systems that are spending our money. Collective bargaining with unions representing government workers needs reform and constraint, not more power enshrined in the state constitution. Proposal 2 deserves a firm "no" vote.